Between Cheryl and me, we have 10 nieces and nephews. Eighty per cent of them are boys. So, each year we set out to find out what they want. Because we are no longer spring chickens ourselves, trying to keep up with current trends for a group of teenagers (ages 13-22) is filled with some challenges. Cheryl asked her nephews what they wanted via text messages. While one responded with an itemized list, the others were vaguer. So, Cheryl threatened that if you do not give me at least some ideas, you will get just socks and underwear. Needless to say, she got some feedback. But the feedback she didn’t expect was from Grant who stated, “Actually, socks and underwear is a good idea.” Ha. You realize that they are growing up when that is their response.

Regardless, we enjoy shopping for them. Trying to find the right gift to get that heart-felt hug, you know the one that they really mean. Not the forced one that I impose. Ha-ha…it is one of the joys of being an Aunt.

So, I guess this post should have some genealogy in it to make it official.

I thought it would be a good time to pick an ancestor that had a birthday in December. While I was looking, I stumbled onto Timotheus Jane Bailey. She is my 2nd Great Grandmother. In other words, she was my great-grandfather John Thomas Sublett’s mother. Her name appears most often as Timotheus. But on her tombstone it is written Timothia.

Timotheus was born 7 December 1845. This is actually one day before my birthday. She was born to Yancey Bailey and Mary Marshall Cobbs. The family had 14-15 children. President James Polk, the 11th President of the United States had just started his presidential term. Texas becomes the 28th State.

In the 1850 Federal Census, she was living with her parents and siblings on a Farm in Campbell County, Virginia.

In the 1860 Census (Eastern District), Timotheus was 16 years old. The Bailey family was living on a farm in Campbell County. The value of real estate was listed as $2013 dollars and the Value of her father’s Personal Estate was $5580.

So, I am unsure how or when they met. However, according to an undocumented source, I have George and Timotheus marrying on 18 Jan 1867. I will have to find the source.

By the 1870 Census (Eastern District), Timotheus was 23 years old. She is married to George Bland Sublett living on a farm with his parents William J Sublett and Sarah, Timotheus also has 2 children, Ida (born 1868) and Emma (born 1869).

In the 1880 US Federal Census, Timotheus was keeping home raising her children. At this point she had 7 children. They are living on a farm in Falling River East (Enumeration District 41), Campbell County.

In the 1900 US Federal Census (ED 22), Timotheus and George are living with her daughter Ida and her family. My great-grandfather John Thomas is also listed as living there. This document contains vital information because it asks the persons whether they were married or not and how many years married. Timotheus and George indicate that they had been married 36 years. So, it puts their marriage date in 1864 or 1865.

Timotheus died on 9 December 1918, two days after her 73rd birthday. She is buried in Gladys, Virginia.

Mae Elizabeth was born on July 4th 1917 in Naruna, Virginia. She was the fourth of five children born to John Thomas and Georgia Kate. She is my Grand Aunt, or simply my grandfathers, Lacy’s younger sister. Georgie as she was called was 34 years old when Mae was born. Claudia, Mae’s eldest sibling was 15 years old in 1917. It is interesting that Larry Burruss informed me that his mother and Pete used an “e” at the end of their name, Sublette. However, my grandfather, Lacy always said they just wanted to be snobbish. This is particularly interesting because there are still Sublett’s that use that spelling including my newly discovered third cousin, M. Sean Sublette.

To give you some perspective, World War I was currently taking place halfway across the world. Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of The United States was in office.

In the 1920 Census, Mae was 2 years old. Her oldest sister Claudia had already left home. The rest of the family lived in Naruna, Campbell County, Virginia. According to this census, George Bland Sublett, Mae’s grandfather, also lived with them.

By the 1930 Census, Mae is 12 years old, she lived with her parents, her younger sister Clarice “Pete.” Sue Holt, Mae’s maternal grandmother is also living with the family. They also have a border, Ralph Dudley, living with the family.

Somewhere along the way, Mae meets John Carrington Burruss. He goes by the name Carrington. I do not know the story of their courtship. Maybe my second cousins can fill us in. I tried to find out from Larry, but he does not remember hearing how they met. But it is clear they married prior to the 1940 Census.

Mae and Carrington Burruss

Mae and Carrington Burruss

Mae and Carrington Burruss

I do know that their first child, Nashella Sue, was born on October 4, 1938. According to the City Directory, Mae and Carrington were living at 905 Deoring Street in 1939.

In the 1940 Census, Mae is married to John “Carrington” Burruss. They lived at 905 Deoring Street, Lynchburg. Carrington is working at a Dry Cleaner’s and Mae is at home with her new-born, Nashella. Their second child, Larry Clarke Burruss, was born on November 26, 1940.

Larry and Nashella Burruss

According to the City Directory, after 1943, the family lived at 1123 Rhode Island Ave, Lynchburg, Virginia.

In the 1940 City Directory, Carrington is working at Adams and Scott’s Dry Cleaners as a Driver. However, in the 1943 City Directory, Carrington is working at Fitzgerald and Burruss Dry Cleaning. This is the business that he owned.

In the 1943 City Directory, we see that Carrington is listed with Fitzgerald as owners of a Dry Cleaning Business at 1400 Main Street.

According to Larry, his father owned a Dry Cleaning business during World War II. He sold the business in 1948 when he went into the automobile business. He did this until he retired in 1975. Larry stated, “He with several partners ran the Kaiser-Frasier-Willy’s Dealership in Lynchburg and then became the American Motors/Jeep Dealers until the mid-1970s when they all retired.”

According to the 1949 City Directory, Carrington worked as a Salesman for Tibbs Motor Company.

My hope is to write a synopsis of all these ancestors. If you have additional information, I would appreciate you contacting me.